The old judge, looking more exasperated than ever, banged her gaval.

"Court is now in session for Diamond V. the Real Maria Santiago..."

Divine side eyed Maria. "Hopefully, the real one. Unless you have an entire crime family of Santiagos."

Monica shook her head, smiled and tipped an imaginary hat to the judge. The crowd of Stantiagos went wild, tossing their hats and pulling them over their eyes.

"Crime familia?" Monica asked. "I'm Latina, not Italian."

The judge rolled her elderly sunken eyes. But looking even more out of it was the prosecutor. The robotic man has crossed his arms, drumming his fingers on the side of his broad forearm. He spoke in his vocoded but mannered voice, scrambling all humanity but at least sounding professional.

"If I may end this ridiculous charade, Monica Montero stands accused of murdering Jeremy Diamond, the Creator and her former employer during one of her masked masquerades. The motive is quite obvious. She had attempted to steal the Rubylove and was literally caught in the act. She fired a shot and left him lying face down in a pool of his blood."

Inspector Croissant or rather Pierre Le Risque rolled and unrolled his twirly mustache as Cyrus Borg spoke. Mr. Borg was quite aware he was a puppet, and get, he willing crusades for this dastardly Dick. Mina wasn't quite sure what she had done to earn the ire of a Galaxy Wars reject. Unless he was somehow Nick Beard returned from the dead from one of her earliest cases.

"Objection," Mina shouted. "Who is providing this alibi anyway?"

"This good detective," Borg replied curtly. "He was there in the night of the murder. Staking out the case like he had done many times before."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"Good is a subjective phrase, Mr. Borg," Divine answered. "However, I would like to hear his testimony. I believe this case will be short and not-sweet, considering he was the only witness."

Mina's heart danced excitedly in her chest. This fishy Frenchman would be leaping out of the water and it would be the perfect time to nail him with an apt cross examination."

"Oiu oiu!" Croissant said, playing up his nationality. "Eer will be my washer. To begin, while I stakes out the museum, I did not see the actual heinous crime. Only zee aftermath. His face down even a pool of blood wit zat vile purple hat placed over his head. Eet was tres horrifying...but predictable."

He glared through his monocle. "Santiago may purport to be a jewel thief, but zut allies, she will kill a man who comes between her and her precious gems."

Santiago made eye contact with the floor, as the non Stans glared at her. Even the judge looked over her antics.

Mina threw her hand in his direction, pointing at his long nose with her index finger. "Even if the hat marks the presence of Santiago. How do we know you simply didn't lay it there yourself."

"Objection!" Borg shouted. "Hawkins, judging by your own digital court record I have stored inside my data bank..." ("Umm that's not creepy," Mina muttered.) I would think better of you. If he is guilty, where is the evidence?"

Mina gulped. Here was the moment of truth for her. She only has one piece of evidence linking Le Risque to the crime and she wasn't sure exactly how it would prove anything. Diamond possessing the Rubylove might have been what sealed his fate, but how could she prove it was Le Risque who actually killed him?

"Your honor!" Mina said with a deep breath and a nervous smile. "Put on your safety goggles because I'm about to cut away at a precious gemstone...a diamond to be exact!Mr. diamond may have been the curator, but did you know he was a thief himself?"

Le Risque's eye widened behind his monocle, but Borg set his systems to autopilot. He was still non plussed.

"Oh really?" The judge said, adjusting her own spectacles.

"Because!" Mina said with a look of utmost conviction. "Maria Santiago did not steal the Rubylove. It was actually Mr. Diamond. And with the most obv motive ever, he wanted more bling bling for his ring rings!"

Mina held the baggy up contained the gemstone embedded in his ring. Everyone ooh'd and ahh'd at its majesty.

"Yes siree!" Mina said proudly. "That is a bonafide, certified and other thing-afied, Rubylove! And the reason he died. He was murdered in cold blood by Inspector Croix-Saint!"